Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the 4 bacon slices in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and cook until crispy, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Move the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. When cool enough to handle, break the bacon into bite-sized pieces and reserve. While the bacon cooks, chop the onion and bell pepper into small dice and mince the garlic finely.

Keep the rendered bacon fat in the skillet and lower the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper, sautéing for roughly 5 minutes until they soften and begin to develop a light golden color. Stir in the minced garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds until aromatic. Sprinkle in the paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper, stirring continuously for about 2 minutes to toast the spices and release their essential oils.

Add the apple cider vinegar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, and mustard to the skillet, mixing thoroughly to combine with the spiced vegetable base. Stir in the brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, continuing to mix until the sugar dissolves completely and all ingredients are uniformly blended.

Pour the entire 44-ounce can of baked beans into the skillet along with the reserved crumbled bacon from the first step, stirring to distribute everything evenly. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring from time to time, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once bubbling, lower the heat to prevent excessive splattering if necessary.

Arrange the 2 remaining bacon slices across the surface of the bean mixture in the skillet. Transfer the skillet to your preheated 400°F oven and bake without covering for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bacon on top becomes crispy and the beans bubble gently around the perimeter.

Remove the skillet from the oven with care and let the baked beans rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This brief standing time allows the mixture to thicken slightly and makes portioning much easier.